Coknt-sheller



G. MAYNARD.

Corn Sheller.

Patented Sept. '12, 1854.`

N NKN.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE. i

GILBERT MAYNARD, OF GILL, MASSACHUSETTS.

CORN-SHELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,672, dated September 12, 1854.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT MAYNARD, of Greenfield, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Shelling Corn; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and eXact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in providing two wheels with angular spokes so arranged that the ear of corn can pass between, and be subjected to the operation of the angular spokes in its downward passage. The wheels have a lateral movement upon their bearings in order to accommodate the different sizes of ears.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and usemy invention, I will proceed to de. scribe its construction and operation, reference being had to the annexed drawings forming part of this specification, in which,

Figure l, is a side sectional view of my improvement; Fig. 2, an end section; Fig. 3, a top view.

Similar letters Yrefer to like parts.

a shellingwheels; b', band; c, shaft; c, groove; d, shaft; al', groove; c e f f', bearings; g, lower pulley; h, upper pulley; c', pulley shaft; la, Z, adjusting screws.; m m', ear guides; n, crank; n', exit orifice; 0, straight spring; p, straight spring.

Power is applied to the crank, n, which gives motion to the shelling wheel b, in the direction of arrow 1. The circumference of b is grooved, in which runs an endless band b. This band passes from the top of b around the pulley h, thence around the shelling wheel a, thence around pulley gn and shelling-wheels a, b. In this manner rotary motion is communicated to the shelling wheels a, although both are made to move in contrary directions; b, in the direction of arrow l, and a, in the direction of arrow 2. The pulleys 71 g, have bearings upon the upright shaft i, which is held in its place by means of the adjusting screws la, Z. If the band b is too tight or becomes at any time too loose, it may be easily adjusted by turning the screws le, Z. The wheels a, b, are furnished with spokes placed with a slight deviation from a right angle with their respective shafts, as shown. These spokes have their inner edges square, in order that they may properly operate on the ears of corn in shelling. The wheels a, b, are not placed upon the same line of axis, as will be noticed by reference to Fig. B-an arrangement required in order to secure the full effect of the shelling wheels upon the ear. The shafts d, e, have a lateral `movement upon their bearings, in order to accommodate the different sizes of ears to be shelled. The shaft d is furnished with a groove d into which the end of a straight spring o lits. The shaft c is furnished with a similar channel e and spring p.

The corn is introduced through the guide m, which at the top is circular, but below the top of the shelling wheels consists merely of two pieces of metal m extending to the bottom of the machine. The guide thus formed serves to conduct the ear down between the wheels a, b, which strip oil the corn, and the cob passes out of the machine through the hole n. The position of the guide m m will be seen by reference to Fig. l.

When the ear of corn is introduced at m,

the shelling wheels a, b, are pushed apart,A

sincethey are upon sliding axles, the springs o, y), having sufficient stilness to press the shelling wheels constantly with just suiicient force against the ear, to take off the corn. 4The springs 0, p, also serve to enable the shelling wheels to accommodate themselves to the irregularities in the ears, diierence in size, &c.

The shelled grain falls off from the cob into the box of the machine; or, when the latter is perforated, into some suitable receptacle below. As the ear cannot escape from its guides m m', but passes directly down through the machine, and out at n', it is impossible for the cobs and corn to become mixed together. j

My improvement possesses several important advantages over all other corn shellers with which I am acquainted. The various parts are simple and effective, while the machine is extremely rapid in its performance and very cheap in construction.

Having thus described my invention I claim- I am aware that a roughened and beveled wheel with an adjustable Jguide has been previously used in corn-shellers. I am, also,

aware that two wheels have been employed in one machine, one wheel presenting its side, and .the other its roughened, beveled periphery to theear of corn'. These devices, therefore, I do not claim; but I claim as my invention the arrangement herein described whereby two shelling wheels, with their axles parallel, turning in opposite directions,

are made, to operate simultaneously, .upon one ear of corn7 the ear being fed in between the said wheels, substantially as set forth. GILBERT MAYNARD. Witnesses:

GEO. D. `WELLS, D. W. A LvoRD. 

